Bow Goods Yard regeneration

[Malaxa]

First announced in late June 2023, there are now several local events to allow discussion with local communities and "stakeholders".

Network Rail launches masterplanning at Bow Goods Yard

Network Rail is launching its masterplanning process at Bow Goods Yard, East London, which will see the regeneration of over 30 acres of brownfield land.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Bow Goods Yard regeneration events being held

Network Rail is holding feedback events about its planned regeneration of Bow Goods Yard.

www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk

Anyone would think reading the latter that there had never been rail freight depots on these sites until after the Olympics.
If homes are built on part of the site then how long will it be before the residents campaign to have the 24 hour freight movements in and out of one of the very few inner London freight terminals shut down?

Of course what has led to this consultation is not touched up - no doubt something to do with balancing "sustainable transport" with the mouth watering price of land in inner London and the insatiable need to "solve the housing crisis" which, of course, is not soluble, any more than building roads will solve "congestion".

Network Rail is aiming to submit a planning application in 2024.

 

[Economist]

I was recently told about a case where a rail company which operated a yard were forced to close it due to noise following the construction of a residential property development next door.

When a property company were selling plots on an estate near another of the rail company's yards, a bright yellow sign explaining the 24 hour operation of the yard was up in on railway property, visible from the upstairs windows of most of the new houses. The housing developers visited within 20 minutes demanding the removal of the sign, the yard refused.

The only other way I can think of dealing with NIMBYs moving in would be to have a covenant put in the deeds of any property on such a development indemnifying the railway from noise complaints.

 

[richieb1971]

Don't you have rights if you were there first?

 

[Elecman]

Don't you have rights if you were there first?

Sadly not!! Hence why NiMBYs who move into villages complain about the Church Bells being rung and having noise abatement notices served by spineless council officials. The same applies to railway operations ( see Scarborough and Marylebone sagas for details )

 

[dk1]

I am very apprehensive to read it expecting it to annoy me too much.

 

[alholmes]

I live very close to this site, and the idea of putting any housing there is ridiculous (and I’ve said as much in response to the consultation). Unfortunately there isn’t much detail available at this stage. As plans develop it’ll be interesting to see how overnight noise and dirt/dust is mitigated - that’s the main thing that annoys local residents at the moment, when dealing with the existing occupants of the site.

 

[Bishopstone]

The plans seem vague at this consultation stage, but in principle, if there is unused or under-utilised brownfield land in this area, then absolutely it should be developed, and ideally at high density.

 

[Mag_seven]

First announced in late June 2023, there are now several local events to allow discussion with local communities and "stakeholders".

Network Rail launches masterplanning at Bow Goods Yard

Network Rail is launching its masterplanning process at Bow Goods Yard, East London, which will see the regeneration of over 30 acres of brownfield land.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Bow Goods Yard regeneration events being held

Network Rail is holding feedback events about its planned regeneration of Bow Goods Yard.

www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk

Anyone would think reading the latter that there had never been rail freight depots on these sites until after the Olympics.
If homes are built on part of the site then how long will it be before the residents campaign to have the 24 hour freight movements in and out of one of the very few inner London freight terminals shut down?

Of course what has led to this consultation is not touched up - no doubt something to do with balancing "sustainable transport" with the mouth watering price of land in inner London and the insatiable need to "solve the housing crisis" which, of course, is not soluble, any more than building roads will solve "congestion".

Thread reopened to allow @Snow1964 to provide an update.

 

[Snow1964]

Planning Permission for the Bow Goods Yard has now been approved

A Network Rail outline masterplan to regenerate 30 acres of brownfield land in east London has been approved by the London Legacy Development Corporation.​

Network Rail is looking to turn the old Bow Goods Yard into a rail freight campus and last mile logistics hub.

The site is the final parcel of London 2012 Olympic legacy land to be unlocked and is Network Rail Property’s first independent planning submission.

Bow Goods Yard is considered vital to London’s construction sector, as more than a million tonnes of aggregate a year passes through it.

The regeneration scheme is designed to improve rail freight capacity and efficiency by consolidating operations, and enclosing and screening a concrete-batching facility, which enables an integrated last mile logistics hub to be brought forward.

Under the industrial-led masterplan, up to three million sq ft of floorspace will also be created, including heavy and light industrial space. A range of leisure facilities is also proposed, with the flexibility for up to 350,000 sq ft destination leisure supported by 35,000 sq ft of food and beverage alongside 55,000 sq ft of sports pitches to complement existing facilities on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Network Rail group property director Robin Dobson said: “Transforming this strategically underutilised freight site into the largest industrial and logistics campus that serves the whole of East London is central to expanding rail freight capacity and supporting the capital's logistics market.

“The approval of this masterplan submitted by Network Rail Property is a major milestone in repositioning the property business. It marks our ambition to drive growth and investment across our brownfield estate, taking the lead on complex projects to ensure we deliver the widest mix of commercial and social opportunities. By working closely with local communities and businesses, we are ensuring sites like Bow Goods Yard will support the local area for generations to come.”

The masterplanning team for Bow Goods Yard included: Maccreanor Lavington Architects and Urbanists, UMC Architects, Architecture 00, East, WSP, Make Good, Useful Projects, Montagu Evans and Currie & Brown.

Blazej Czuba, urban studio lead at Maccreanor Lavington, said: “It has been an incredible journey for us developing a project that secures the industrial capacity of the site while positively responding to its unique context in the middle of the Olympic regeneration area. The result is a masterplan showing that heavy industry can successfully co-exist with other functions in a city, and that many industrial uses can be integrated into the street fabric, instead of being relegated to an out-of-town industrial estate. But this is not just an industrial project. The leisure and community component will expand what the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park has to offer, capitalising on London’s bourgeoning experience economy”.

Bow Goods Yard plans approved

A Network Rail outline masterplan to regenerate 30 acres of brownfield land in east London has been approved by the London Legacy Development Corporation.

www.theconstructionindex.co.uk

 

[High Dyke]

Having experience of NiMBYs in other areas of railway operation, I can understand how the railway would soon be held responsible. Even if it had existed prior to the development.

Surely, it would make sense for the developers to work with Network Rail and the other stakeholders to design the area, that maximises the land being developed, but balances it with the operational needs of the railway. Would it be possible to provide open spaces or non-residential properties closer to the railway with housing further away?

 

[furnessvale]

Just how much of this development will be railfreight, compared to the leisure, green spaces etc mentioned in all the blurb I read about it.

It looks like a case of "hide the concrete batching plant in a corner behind a wall". How long before that comes under NIMBY attack as mentioned above?

 

[Malaxa]

There are more detailed diagrams of the site from the planning/consultation period at Skyscraper City, some of which are still on the MacCreanor Lavington web page.
Note the absence of any image showing anything resembling railway line in favour of touchy-feely graphics of happy, diverse people visiting climbing walls etc. [employment...]

Bow Goods Yard Masterplan | Stratford | Approved

www.skyscrapercity.com

It seems the railway connection over the Lee Navigation bridge will be no more, currently receiving almost daily aggregate trains to AI and building blocks to Plasmor since a "multi-storey freight vehicle park" [in dark red] has been plonked in the space.